Steamboat Slough reopens to boats temporarily

Steamboat Slough located just upriver of Bethel is no longer blocked to boat traffic, at least for now.
Faulkner Walsh Constructors, a Bethel-based construction company, had been working on removing a sunken barge in the middle of the slough. Boat traffic was blocked off the last few days.

Joe Korthius, Manager of Barge Operations, says they have been unable to remove the barge because tides have not been in their favor. He says they will try to remove the barge again next week.

So, the slough is open to boat traffic, although the sunken barge is still there which means that boaters should continue to keep their speeds down.

The bottom of Steamboat Slough begins about a mile upriver of Bethel. The top end connects back with the main stem near Schwalbe Island. There are multiple fish camps located within the slough.